Ganassi teammates top practice in Iowa

Rain has hit the Iowa Speedway but not before Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon turned the fastest laps in opening day practice for Sunday's first-ever Indy Car race at the 7/8-mile oval. The teams got nearly halfway through a schedule four-hour test session on the progressively-banked 0.875-mile speedway before rain and stormy conditions called a halt to the proceedings.

Nineteen cars combined to complete 1,433 laps on the 0.875-mile oval which will host its first IndyCar Series race on June 24. Teams practiced for 1 hour, 27 minutes before rain ended the session, which had been scheduled for four hours.

Dixon lapped the track in 17.606 seconds, 182.857 mph in the No. 9 Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Wheldon, celebrating his 29th birthday, had a quick lap of 17.6710 (182.129 mph.)

Team Penske teammates Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves were third and fourth fastest respectively with laps of 182.127 mph and 181.960 mph.

Marco Andretti was fifth fastest (181.869) while Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti was sixth (181.594). Buddy Rice, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter and Jeff Simmons rounded out the top 10.

Also on June 22, Wade Cunningham secured his first SWE Race Car Parts Award of the season earning the pole for the Iowa 100 at Iowa Speedway..

Pos Driver Diff Best Time Best Speed
1 Scott Dixon (9) … 17.6006 182.857
2 Dan Wheldon (10) 0.0704 17.6710 182.129
3 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 0.0706 17.6712 182.127
4 Helio Castroneves (3) 0.0868 17.6874 181.960
5 Marco Andretti (26) 0.0957 17.6963 181.869
6 Dario Franchitti (27) 0.1225 17.7231 181.594
7 Buddy Rice (15) 0.1557 17.7563 181.254
8 Tomas Scheckter (2) 0.1656 17.7662 181.153
9 Ed Carpenter (20) 0.1668 17.7674 181.141
10 Jeff Simmons (17) 0.1866 17.7872 180.939
11 Danica Patrick (7) 0.1973 17.7979 180.830
12 Tony Kanaan (11) 0.2224 17.8230 180.576
13 Scott Sharp (8) 0.2429 17.8435 180.368
14 AJ Foyt IV (22) 0.2598 17.8604 180.198
15 Darren Manning (14) 0.3373 17.9379 179.419
16 Sarah Fisher (5) 0.3696 17.9702 179.097
17 Vitor Meira (4) 0.3973 17.9979 178.821
18 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 0.5539 18.1545 177.278
19 Milka Duno (23) 1.1650 18.7656 171.505